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Veskell
Veskell is the most prominently-settled and developed continent on the world of Fortuna. Nestled between each of the other continents, this land was once dominated by orcish tribes and dwarvish kingdoms that arose in the wake of the Chaos Ages before being settled in the north by humans of Eldrim and elves of Verdania, as well as to the south by dragonborn fleeing the desolation of the continent Ashirok. With fractious Kingdoms to the north that intermittently war with one another, an expansionist Empire of dragonborn to the south, and a band of territory known as the Frontier that's proven too hostile and inhospitable to settle and control, Veskell is a hub of commerce, civilization, and conflict for the whole of Fortuna. History Chaos Ages Initially decimated and burned by Spellbombs during the end of the Age of Dragons, Veskell became the site of many pitched battles between Celestial, Infernal, and Abyssal forces. In these conflicts, many structures of the Age of Dragons that had survived the Spellbombs were commandeered and garrisoned as forts and outposts of war, while mortal races and monsters were conscripted, deployed, slain, and resurrected many times over during the conflict. Of particular note are the towers of Nar'Menel, located in modern times in the Summerwood, and Nar'Sindir, located in the southern reaches of Wraithmire - these bastions would house the Celestial forces during the conflicts, and would serve as shelters during the Outsider Purge that marked the end of the Chaos Ages and drove all beings from beyond the Material Plane, save for Nazkariel the Solar who initiated the Purge, back beyond the Divine Gate. Also of note are the Ruins of Celestros, the city that bore witness to the Final Battle of the Chaos Ages and sheltered the humans and other races who would become Frontiersmen in times that followed. 1st Age More to come. 2nd Age More to come. 3rd Age More to come. In 968 3E, the continent was host to a calamitous event known as the Days of Darkness. Orchestrating attacks across every major Kingdom, alongside assaults on the coasts of Stonewall, Summerwood, and Brighthaven, forces loyal to the Vampire Lord Agrius Dawnhaven attempted to overthrow, convert, or destroy governments and groups that opposed the takeover of Veskell, and eventually the world, by Agrius. These events culminated in the Battle of Norfrost Keep, where a coalition of forces comprised of the Northern Kingdoms, a contingent from Ebonhold, and the mercenaries of the Unfortunates did battle with undead forces while heroes led by King Marcus Estel I led a direct assault on Agrius, ultimately ending in his resurrection from death, the loss of his powers and control over the dead, and his subsequent imprisonment in a Silver Hand compound located in the Gordunian Mountains. Nations and Regional Powers Brighthaven The nation of Brighthaven is a Theocracy currently ruled by Lord Regent Aldrich Mazrim and the Clergy of Tyr, and formerly by the Dawnhaven Royal Family of Aasimar. Populated mostly by humans, the nation is policed by the Brighthaven Riflemen in conjunction with the Knights of Tyr, and is maintained logistically and judicially by the Inquisition of Tyr and the Diocese of Tyr. The nation is monotheistic by law, with pagan and outsider religions being taxed and heavily regulated if not outright banned as heresy, but is also a bastion of healing magics and social support with taxes collected by the churches and put to use educating, feeding, and otherwise maintaining the populace and the nation. Of particular note within Brighthaven are the Unfortunates, a Mercenary guild of great repute that has produced many heroes, as well as Tasseldorf Industries which controls the vast majority of farmland, industry, and other major swaths of the economy, and finally, the Silver Hand, a secret police organization founded by the inventor of the firearm, Kreston Silver, and used to root out corruption and heresy. Highmount Formerly a feudal Monarchy under the rule of House Sunset, the Kingdom of Highmount has ostensibly become a Magocratic Dictatorship, as it is run and maintained by the Archmagi of the Academy of Magisters in the eponymous capital city of the Kingdom. Falling into civil war after the assassination of Queen Elessia VII, the Kingdom and its constituent Houses were in disarray when the Days of Darkness occurred and flooded undead into their lands, only to have the magisters and battlemagi of the Academy drive the undead back, bring the warring factions to heel, and take control via martial law. The Kingdom effectively remains in this state today, run by the Council of Archmages to further the ends of the Academy and maintain a rigid, functional economy. Stonewall Loosely-organized northern Kingdom comprised of a few towns and several villages and farms, protected by a walled city, built in the 2nd Age. Constantly at war with Frost Giants in the Gordunian and Westeroth Mountains. Towns and regions presided over by Earls and Thanes, both risen up from the populace by their peers or the King of Stonewall, whom they then elect from amongst themselves when the previous one dies. Populace protected by Stonewall Rangers and Stonewall Sentinels, primarily worship the Gods of Ysgard. More to come. Magarband The first(and last) of the Dwarven Kingdoms, built into the junction of the Gordunian and Westeroth Mountains and deep below the earth, ruled over by the Steward's Council since the failure of the Royal line. Divided into different Clans that occupy different Castes, constantly jockey over position, preside over peasant towns and villages of hill dwarves. More to come. Summerwood More to come. Brokenfist More to come. Empire of Ebonhold More to come. Geography and Features